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To increase the use of alternative fuel vehicles by its associates for daily commuting, and to prepare for a new generation of plug-in vehicles set to arrive by 2018, Honda is adding 120 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers on the Torrance, CA headquarter campus of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. The new chargers will be installed in two phases, the first of which has already begun. Ultimately, Honda estimates that the chargers will enable hundreds of associates to use an EV for their daily commute.
To support the local community in conjunction with the project, Honda is installing a publicly-accessible DC "fast" charger on Harpers Way, adjacent to its campus, which will enable Torrance residents to rapidly refuel EVs equipped with DC charging capabilities. The fee-based DC Fast charger will open in early 2016 and will support both the CHAdeMO and SAE Combo standards.
"Making workplace charging ubiquitous and accessible is the cornerstone of an effective public charging strategy that supports the maximum number of vehicles," said Steven Center, vice president of Honda's Environmental Business Development Office and Product Regulatory Office. "This expansion will make commuting in an EV a convenient option for the vast majority of Honda associates in Torrance, including those without access to charging at their homes or apartment buildings."
Funding for the project was provided, in part, by a California Energy Commission (CEC) grant. Honda's announcement coincides with its participation in "Drive the Dream 2015," an event hosted by the California Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative and attended by Governor Jerry Brown to encourage businesses across the state to install workplace charging.
Honda will offer several next-generation, advanced powertrain vehicles, including a new fuel cell vehicle (FCV) set to launch next year, followed by a new battery-electric model and a new plug-in hybrid model by 2018. The new EV chargers on the Torrance campus will complement existing refueling options on-site, including compressed natural gas and hydrogen refueling stations.